MONTRÉAL (CP) -- Expo 67 geared itself today for what may be a
record weekend attendance as the six-month fair faced its closing hour.

School children and their teachers from throughout the province
have the day off today for a final visit to Expo and some observers predicted
attendance might pass the record of 569,500 visits set Sunday, April 30, two
days after the fair opened.

Attendance Thursday approached the 300,000 mark, bringing the
total since the opening to more than 49,200,000.

The unofficial target of about 50,000,000 was expected to be
reached before the official closing gates at 2 p.m. Sunday, Phillippe de Gaspe
Beaubien, the fair's director of operations, said Thursday.

Millions more will continue to visit at least part of the present
1,000-acre site after the fair closes officially if Montréal Mayor Jean Drapeau
and Québec Premier Daniel Johnson have their way.

Mr. Johnson announced Thursday the provincial government will join
the federal government in providing the experimental two-year financial base to
keep the La Ronde amusement park area in operation after the fair closes.

Mr. Johnson said the province intends to give the $6,000,000
Quebec pavilion to the City of Montréal for use in any project for a permanent
exhibition after Expo.

Mr. Drapeau reported earlier that nearly 40 pavilions have been
offered to the city and he indicated Thursday that new offers have been made
although he gave no figures.

Asked whether a continuing fair would be an anti-climax after the
resounding success of Expo, Mr. Drapeau said the project would not have been
started if the city had lacked co-operation.

"I am not satisfied to juggle with dreams. I know my limitations.
But I know the possibilities of my fellow Canadians are unlimited."

- End of article. Copyright by the Canadian Press,
October 27, 1967. All rights reserved.